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How direct instruction is being used to close the achievement gaps in literacy

HOW DIRECT INSTRUCTION IS BEING USED TO CLOSE
THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS IN LITERACY
by
Dennis D. Byas
__________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2007
Copyright 2007 Dennis D. Byas

Large-scale school reform has been a challenge for many school districts nationwide, and research has shown that school districts attempting to close student literacy achievement gaps have not always been successful with the overall results. However, one strategy, Direct Instruction, and its effects have been shown to be more successful than many other strategies and programs. This qualitative case study was designed to develop an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Direct Instruction and its relationship to closing the achievement gaps in literacy. It consisted of a case study of two urban schools that had been identified as having closed achievement gaps over the previous 3 years, as demonstrated by their California Academic Performance Index (API) and Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results. Many of the study participants recited their positive perceptions of the usefulness of Direct Instruction in closing achievement gaps. They gave many examples of conferencing with students in language arts and mathematics. They were quite proud to share some of their classroom preparation to assist in closing the literacy achievement gaps, as well as classroom results of students' recent benchmark examinations that clearly demonstrate the achievement gap improvement.; Large-scale school reform has been a challenge for many school districts nationwide, and research has shown that school districts attempting to close student literacy achievement gaps have not always been successful with the overall results. However, one strategy, Direct Instruction, and its effects have been shown to be more successful than many other strategies and programs. This qualitative case study was designed to develop an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Direct Instruction and its relationship to closing the achievement gaps in literacy. It consisted of a case study of two urban schools that had been identified as having closed achievement gaps over the previous 3 years, as demonstrated by their CaliforniaAcademic Performance Index (API) and Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results. Many of the study participants recited their positive perceptions of the usefulness of Direct Instruction in closing achievement gaps. They gave many examples of conferencing with students in language arts and mathematics. They were quite proud to share some of their classroom preparation to assist in closing the literacy achievement gaps, as well as classroom results of students' recent benchmark examinations that clearly demonstrate the achievement gap mprovement.; Since teachers are the key performers in instructional improvement, this research project measured teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of Direct Instruction as a strategy or pedagogical method for closing achievement gaps. The goal of this study was to provide insight regarding what contributes to closing the achievement gaps in elementary and secondary schools.

HOW DIRECT INSTRUCTION IS BEING USED TO CLOSE
THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS IN LITERACY
by
Dennis D. Byas
__________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2007
Copyright 2007 Dennis D. Byas